Team USA will be looking for its sixth consecutive gold medal in women’s basketball at the 2016 Olympics, and two Chicago Sky players were named finalists to make the roster that will pursue that lofty goal.
Those players are Elena Delle Donne and Courtney Vandersloot, who were among the 25 players that were named finalists for the roster. Both join a list that has some of the biggest names in women’s basketball, but both are serious contenders to be on the team that will head to Brazil later this summer.
A Delaware product, Delle Donne won the WNBA MVP award for her 2015 performance, and has to be considered one of the favorites to make the Olympic roster. She averaged 23.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game with the Sky last season, and she set career highs in just about every offensive category in leading her team to a third consecutive playoff appearance.
Vandersloot, who plays point guard for the Sky, had an excellent 2015 season as well, averaging 11.4 points and 5.8 assists per game, which were both career highs. She also tied her career high in steals per game, with 1.3, and she set career highs in field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
Team USA, which will be coached by UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, will have a training camp in Connecticut in late February to help determine which players will end up on this summer’s roster.
